1 Samuel 16:13
"Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah."
You probably remember this story well. God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse to choose one of seven sons to replace a disobedient Saul as the king of Israel.
At first, Samuel believed the oldest and most handsome of the boys would surely be king, judging the boys by humanities standards for leadership. But God had another plan in mind, making it clear to Samuel that the Lord does not see as man sees, for God looks at the heart. It was only when Jesse summoned in the family's youngest, calling in David from watching the sheep, that God gives the go ahead to anoint the new King.
There are several lessons for the church in this text. Notice for a moment that God calls anoints David out of and in the midst of his brothers. God makes a choice for one over another. In today's "I can do anything myself world", the fact that the Lord chooses some to serve over others bothers us somewhat, but this is the Lord's way. The Spirit calls out and anoints men and women from the church to lead and serve within and over the congregation.
I'm also thankful that God not only looks to the heart, but he knows our potential to become like Christ as we mature in our faith. Surely, the young David was not yet proven in life as a leader, but God already knew his true potential to lead the nation. Samuel couldn't see this, but God in his infinite wisdom could. Within the church today, the Spirit anoints men and women to be servant leaders, even when they've also not yet been fully proven within the church. Sometimes, I think we're too quick to judge one's ability to serve, not being able to see the heart and potential of a man s God does.
I also like the implied promise here of the Spirit's presence. The text explains that from the time David's anointing, the Spirit is with him. David never had to lead without God's power with him. God's promise today is his abiding presence within the life of every believer. From the time of our salvation going forward, the Spirit is living within us, making us servants of the Lord. In ministry, we never go about our responsibilities alone. The Spirit anoints us with power to be used of God and remains with us in power as we are obedient to serve the Lord.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for your anointing presence, choosing us for salvation and choosing and empowering those whom you call to lead and serve within your church. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment